


The Next Ten Minutes

by uhposey



Category: The Last Five Years (2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-05-28 16:52:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6337366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uhposey/pseuds/uhposey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jamie and Cathy aren't quite done with each other yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She

Backspace.

They

Backspace.

Delete.

Close the laptop.

Sigh.

Four hours of writing—or rather, staring—and this was all Jamie had to show for it. A fat load of fucking nothing. 

He sighed, frustrated, and began to put his laptop away when he saw a familiar blonde standing by the counter ordering her usual mocha latte. 

“Cathy?”

Her head snapped up, and she turned slowly. She was not smiling. “Jamie.”

He smiled slightly, his lips barely turning up at the corners. “Cathy. Hi. How—How are you?”

She ducked her head and closed her eyes, sighing to herself, before looking around and walking over to where he sat. “Jamie, we don't have to do this.” 

“Do what? What are we doing, I don't understand.” He frowned at her.

“Really? You're doing this now? I—” She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing again. “Look, we don't have to do this polite catching up thing. This 'Hi how have you been' thing. You don't want to know how I've been, it's fine.”

“I do want to know how you've been!” Jamie protested. 

“Well, that's great, but I don't want to know how you've been.” 

“Why not?”

She laughed, a short, exasperated bark. “Jesus, Jamie! You cheated on me! Like, more than a few times! Don't you get that I don't want to see you?” 

He stared at her, stunned and hurt and guilty. “Cathy, I... I don't know what to say.” 

She snorted, rubbing her forehead with her palm. “Well, 'I'm sorry' would be a good start.”

“...I'm sorry. I really am.” He looked at his hands for a moment. “Can I buy your coffee?” 

She stared at him like she was about to laugh. “Sure. I guess. Fuck it, why not?” 

He stood quickly and pulled out the other chair for her, waiting until she finally sat to grab her coffee and bring it over to her.

“So,” he said once he was settled again, “Really. How have you been?” 

She smiled a little. “I can't believe this is happening. Ah, I got engaged.” 

“Really?” 

Cathy snorted. “Don't look so surprised.” 

“I'm not! I'm happy for you, really.” 

She smiled, the first genuine one she had offered the entire time. “Thanks.” She cleared her throat and took a sip of her drink. “And you? I see you're writing again,” she said, nodding at the laptop resting by his elbow. 

“Trying to, anyway,” he said, smiling ruefully. “I'm not having very much luck.” 

She laughed, hiding her mouth behind her hand. “Sorry. I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh, it's just, that's pretty ironic.” 

He smiled, and then he laughed a little, too. “Yeah, I guess it is. After all the shit I gave you over your career.” He paused, looking at her. “How is that going, by the way?”

“Ah, it's good. I just got a small part in a movie, nothing major.”

“Cathy, that's incredible!” 

She smiled into her coffee. “Thanks. I'm kind of proud of it. It's dumb, but, you know.” 

“No, that's really good! I would be proud too.” 

They smiled at each other for a long moment before Cathy cleared her throat and began shuffling her things. “Well, I should get going,” she said, at the same time as Jamie agreed, “Oh, yeah, it's getting late, me too.” 

“Thank you for the coffee,” Cathy said, sliding her chair back and pulling her purse onto her shoulder. “It was...nice.” 

“Nice?” he laughed. “I thought you hated me.” 

She smiled dryly. “Less so now.” She looked down, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Well, I'll see you later.” 

Jamie watched her through the windowed wall as she walked down the street and back out of his life. And that was that.

Or so he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

It's the first day of her new job and Cathy is fucking late. 

Well, not the First first day. It is, however, the first day of her new attitude, her new aura, her new... absolution. Her new life. 

She has this theory, that maybe things over the last five years have been not-so-great due to, in part, her own ego, pride, and general airheadedness. But she's owning up to that now, as part of her new life. This chapter is called Cathy, A.J. 

(After Jamie.)

So it's actually the first day of the fourth week of her new job, and Cathy is fucking late (for the first time in four weeks) because of none other than the reason for this new chapter in her life. Which is just hilarious. 

But it's nothing she can't handle. So when she walks into the studio armed with her mocha latte and her iPad, there isn't anything that can take her by surprise. 

“I quit! Do you hear me now, Lloyd? I'm done! Find yourself a new writer, because I fucking quit!”

Except for this, that is. 

The formerly-known-as writer of the script, Ben Garcia, storms past her, and behind him there is nothing but madness. Assistants scrambling to keep up with the barked orders and phone numbers being thrown at them from every direction, assistants of assistants writing so fast they can barely read what they've got down, and the director himself, Mr. Lloyd Cawley, in the center of it all, Losing His Fucking Mind.

What the hell are we gonna do now?—

—This movie is never gonna get off the fucking ground—

—I knew I should have taken that job at Paramount—

—Someone get me a new writer fast—

And then

“Hyatt.”

Cathy turns, quickly but not too quickly, to face Lloyd Cawley. “Yes, Mr. Cawley?” 

“This is a goddamn mess.” He leaves no room for agreement or disagreement. “But I think I have an idea, and you're going to help me.” 

“I am? I just play a small part, sir, I'm Waitress #2, I don't really see how—”

“You know that writer, don't you?” 

A writer? Cathy didn't know any screenwriters. Cathy didn't know anyone important, which is why she's here. Knowing important people is the goal, and it is looking very high up from where she is standing right now. 

“I'm not sure I know who you mean, Mr. Cawley.”

“Yes you do, that book, A Light in the Dark.”

Oh no. 

“Light out of Darkness?” 

“Yes, that one. Get me that writer.” 

Oh, No.

“Mr. Cawley, I'm not sure I—”

“You said you play Waitress #2?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you like being able to say that?” 

“Yes, sir...”

“Then get me that writer.” 

“...Yes, sir.”

Cathy A.J. is looking like it's going to be a little shorter than she had originally planned.


End file.
